Maintaining target track during missile launch transient perturbations is a long standing problem for lock-on-before-launch (LOBL) target tracking seekers. The launch transient must be accomodated by the seeker when the target range is unusually large; consequently, target signal-to-noise (S/N) and apparent target size are at their minimum. Such conditions severely limit the ability of conventional target trackers to follow any large target motion resulting from a launch transient induced sensor rotation. A prior art solution of the launch transient problem has been to increase the performance capability of the sensor stabilization platform to achieve the degree of missile airframe to sensor isolation which limits to an acceptable level the amount of target motion that must be tracked. However, for high performance airframes the degree of stabilization performance required becomes a major cost driver for LOBL seekers.